Best Tours and Day Trips in Dubai

In Asia & Middle East, Dubai (UAE) by JurgaFebruary 21, 2018This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. More info: Disclosure.

When we first visited Dubai I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It turned out to be a beautiful trip with plenty of variation to keep the whole family happy and entertained for 10 days. Dubai has so much to offer for all types of tourists that it might be overwhelming to know what to see and do first, and especially if you are short on time. So in this post I want to highlight the very best Dubai tours and guided day trips to help you get the most out of your stay in Dubai.

No matter if you are visiting for a week or just making a short stopover in Dubai, consider booking at least a few of these tours in order to see multiple facets of this extremely diverse city.

This is just a small hand-picked selection of the most popular Dubai tours and activities based on our personal experience, customer reviews, and price/quality ratio. Out of thousands of available tours we chose the very best ones. This should help you to save time and research and get the most out of your time in Dubai.

*Most of the tours I link to here are bookable through GetYourGuide and at no extra cost to you we get a small commission if you book a tour using these links. I recommend GetYourGuide because it is our personal favourite website for researching and booking tours when we travel. On top of that, they have the best customer service and free 24 hr cancelation (something you usually don’t have if booking through other websites or directly).

Burj Khalifa

If you visit just one place in Dubai, make it Burj Khalifa. This huge tower rising high in the middle of the desert symbolises all that Dubai has become in such a short time. There are several options for Burj Khalifa tickets, but it’s a very popular attraction so make sure to book in advance.

Burj Khalifa Tickets: Level 124 & 125 This is the most popular option when it comes to visiting Burj Khalifa – the entrance tickets to the 124th and 125th floors. Prices vary depending on the time of the day you visit (the hour around sunset is the most expensive as it allows you to see Dubai from above in daylight as well as in the dark). We opted for the later tour and night views and loved this experience!

Burj Khalifa Tickets and Tour: Level 124, 125 and 148. What makes this tour different from the first one is that you get to skip the lines, avoid the crowds and visit the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa that includes access to the outdoor terrace of the world’s highest observation deck.

And then you also have all kind of combination tickets that can save you some money and time. Here are some of the best-rated Burj Khalifa combo tours:

TIP:Just next to Burj Khalifa are the famous dancing fountains of Dubai. A popular way to see the music and light fountain show is from the water, by taking a traditional boat tour on the lake.

Best Dubai desert tours

No visit to Dubai would be complete without a visit to the desert. Dune bashing in a 4WD is one of the most fun experiences you can have in Dubai, but there are so many ways to experience the desert… From luxury private experiences to more touristy trips including camel rides, BBQ dinner under the stars, or a traditional dance performance… desert tours are a good way to experience a different side of Dubai.

Here are some of the most popular and best-rated Dubai desert tours, including the best Dubai desert safari deals:

Dubai Red Dunes Safari: BBQ, Camel, Sandboarding & Falcon This is by far the most popular of Dubai safari tours. We found it to be a bit too much catered for mass tourism, on the other hand we all loved the thrilling 4WD drive and the kids truly enjoyed the short camel ride, sandboarding, bbq dinner, traditional tanura and belly dance shows, and all the other activities that came with this tour. There are many companies organising a very similar trip; the tour I link to here has the very best customer reviews on all the major websites.

Dubai Morning Safari: Red Dunes, Sandboarding & Camel Ride. This is a shorter version of the above tour (and organised by the same highly rated tour company). It gives you the best experience of the desert (driving in the dunes) without all the other more tourist-oriented activities that you get in the evening. So if your main interest is to experience the Dubai desert, this might be a good option.

Open Desert Adventure Sports: Half-Day From Dubai. This adventure sports package includes all kind of fun outdoor activities in the desert: a camel ride, dune bashing, quad biking, but also sandboarding and even skiing (apparently the new rage in the U.A.E.).

4WD desert safari

Camel ride tours

The above desert tours only include a very short ride on the camel. If you are looking for a longer camel ride in Dubai desert, consider one of these highly rated options:

Dubai water parks

Dubai has two major water parks – the Aquaventure at Atlantis The Palm and Wild Wadi near Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The price of the two parks is about the same and I really cannot say which one is better. We visited Aquaventure and loved it. If our kids had been taller, we would have definitely tried both parks (many water slides have 120cm (a bit less than 4ft) height limit, but there are still really nice water play areas for the younger kids too).

Whatever you decide, make sure to book your tickets in advance as they might cost twice the price at the entrance of the park…

TIP:It’s worth noting that the entrance to Aquaventure is included for all hotel guests of Atlantis The Palm. If your family really likes waterparks it might be worthwhile looking into booking this hotel. In a less busy season and for families with up to 2 kids this might be the very best option in Dubai. Here you can find the best deals for Atlantis The Palm accommodation.

TIP: Consider checking the prices for a family stay at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel as well. Guests of this hotel enjoy complimentary access to Wild Wadi waterpark. The same is true for the guests of Burj Al Arab hotel, however this hotel is for the even more luxury travellers and in a bit different price category…

Dubai city tours

While you can see most of the city individually, taking a city tour is a nice way to see all the main sights in a short time. There are several options, ranging from hop-on hop-off busses, guided city tours, and private tours… Some tours focus on the modern city, while some others bring you to the old town, or offer a combination of both. Old Dubai is so very different than the modern parts most of the tourists visit. If you want to get a taste of more traditional Dubai, the way it was just a few decennia ago, don’t miss it!

Dubai Marina dinner cruise

Dubai Marina area is one of our favourites in the city. There are several ways to explore it: on foot, bicycle, by water bus, or by boat. The most popular option is Dubai Marina cruise with dinner. There are many companies running these tours and yes, they are oriented towards tourists, but it’s a really nice experience. And if you choose well, it may not cost that much more than just a regular dinner at the restaurant (check this post for more information about how much everything costs in Dubai).

Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina is one of the best options I found when looking for a more local experience. The boat is a traditional Arabic wooden dhow and you get to see a live traditional Tanura dance performance as well. Once again, it’s tailored for tourists, but so is everything in Dubai. We took this dinner cruise and really enjoyed it. There are many companies offering dhow dinner cruises, but most have really poor ratings. We chose this dinner cruise because of good reviews and excellent price/quality ratio. It’s also one of the best options for families – kids under 6 travel free, and kids under 12 get a discount.

You can find similar dinner cruises on Dubai Creek as well. But we found that the Dubai Marina area is a much nicer and more spectacular place to be in the evening.

Dinner cruise views of Dubai Marina

Dubai sightseeing boat tours

Many sights of Dubai are best admired from the water. The best way to see the iconic sights as the Burj Al Arab, Atlantis Hotel and the Palm Jumeirah, is by taking a boat.

Other great activities to consider in Dubai

Dubai is a truly unique place with so much going on in the city. The tours I listed above are very popular and really worth doing in order to see the best of Dubai. But if you have more time (and money) and are looking for something more extraordinary and unique, then take a look at some of these great activities in Dubai.

Dubai: Dinner in the Sky Experience. At the moment this is bookable till mid May 2018. I think it’s one of those attractions that are temporary and travel all over the world, so if you are visiting Dubai now, it’s a wonderful opportunity to try this unique experience.

So, these are the 10 most popular type of tours and excursions that you can do in Dubai. It’s really difficult to say which activity was our favourite as they are all so different. As a minimum I recommend visiting the Burj Khalifa, taking a city tour that brings you to the Old Dubai, visit the Dubai desert and at least one water park.

Have you been to Dubai? What were your favourite tours?

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Comments

Hi Monica, my experience is that booking tours in advance you always get a better deal. First – you can compare reviews and prices and also tour itineraries and pick one that’s best for you. Whereas in the hotel, they often will try to sell you tours where they get the highest commission, not necessarily the best ones. Even once you’re at a destination, you can still always book online, and – in most cases – you’ll find better deals. Enjoy your trip!

Hi Tom, we are just a travel blog and don’t run any tours ourselves. Here is a Dubai layover tour that I think would fit your requirements, just make sure that you indeed have 4-5 hours + time for leaving the airport and getting back. I think that a total layover time of 7-8 hours is about the minimum you need. Hope this helps.

Just came back 2 weeks ago, and every time someone asks me what Dubai was I like, I still go wow no words to explain – much more than amazing. The people were lovely, the place was just outstanding. We did the 3 day hop on/off bus, Burj kalifa, sunset safari, Wild waldi, aquarium and underwater Zoo. We went to the Emirates Mall with its ski slope, and Dubai mall with the ice rink, it’s just unreal. Not one complaint- and it’s a holiday for all ages, as I took my 18 year old, 12 year old and my Mam who’s 74. Will definitely be going back ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for sharing your great experience in Dubai, Hayley. I agree with everything you said. Dubai is so diverse that everyone will find something they like. It’s not a typical destination for us, but we also enjoyed our time there and would go back without any hesitation.

Dubai always welcomed people with a warm heart and that’s thousands of tourist visit every month to explore the city which is full of attractions. I live in Saudi and generally travel to Dubai, as my family loves to spend time there. No doubt, it’s little costly but its worth.

Hi Jurga, Great blog with the exact info I needed. I am travelling to Dubai this July with my 12 year old son. When I try to book the tours in Dubai, I am not sure if he will be considered as an adult or child. Any idea?

Hi Raji, usually when you book a tour online you can see for each tour what price you pay for which age group. Many tours even differentiate between several age categories, so it really depends on each tour.

Dubai is fantastic, its really amazing. I have been to Dubai last year and it was a wonderful experience. The Camel milk chocolate, the dessert safari, and the theme parks will always be remembered. Thanks for sharing this blog, you refreshed my memories. Thanks again.

Hi Louri, if you mean the tours, you can see the price for each tour when you click on the links (I think you should be able to see the right currency depending on where you’re from, but on top of the page of every tour there is also an option to choose another currency). Depending on which ones you choose and how many, you can spend a little or a lot. 🙂 Check this post for more information about how much everything costs in Dubai. It’s not a cheap destination, but as everywhere, depends a lot on your choices. Here you can find some ideas for free and very cheap things to do in Dubai as well. Hope this helps.

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Jurga. A traveler with a camera and a mom of three boys. On this blog, I share our family's travel experiences all over the world, coupled with lots of practical information and useful tips. My pictures will inspire you to discover new destinations and my stories will prove that you can take your kids anywhere.Join us as we discover the world one beautiful adventure at a time! Here you can read more about me, my family, and our trips all over the world...